Ashton Kutcher has resigned as chairman of Thorn — the organization he co-founded to protect children from sexual abuse — following statements he and wife Mila Kunis made in support of convicted rapist Danny Masterson.
The 45-year-old actor published a resignation letter to the organization’s website on Friday, writing, “I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve.”
“After my wife and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign as Chairman of the Board, effectively immediately,” Kutcher said.
Kunis, meanwhile, stepped down from her role as an observer on Thorn’s board, reports Time.
News of their resignations came exactly one week after Kutcher and Kunis’ support for Masterson became public.
In May, Masterson was convicted of raping two women at his Hollywood Hills home in the early 2000s. Last Thursday, the 47-year-old was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.
In separate letters to the judge ahead of Masterson’s sentencing, the couple praised their former “That ’70s Show” co-star, calling him a “role model” with “exceptional character.”
Kutcher wrote that he felt Masterson was not “an ongoing harm to society,” adding that “having his daughter raised without a present father would [be] a tertiary injustice in and of itself.”
In a letter of her own, Kunis wrote, “I wholeheartedly vouch for Danny Masterson’s exceptional character and the tremendous positive influence he has had on me and the people around him.”
After receiving a wave of backlash online, the couple quickly addressed the controversy in an apology video posted to Kutcher’s Instagram.
Kutcher explains in the video that they were approached by Masterson’s family and asked to write character letters to submit to the court. He adds that the statements “were intended for the judge to read and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or retraumatize them in any way.”
Kutcher originally founded Thorn with his ex-wife Demi Moore in 2012 to help fight against global child sex trafficking. In his resignation letter, he said he’s been committed to helping the sexually exploited for the past 15 years.
“Victims of sexual abuse have been historically silenced,” he wrote, “and the character statement I submitted is yet another painful instance of questioning victims who are brave enough to share their experiences.”
Evan Rosen
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